Pearl Jam are currently being saluted in their hometown of Seattle with an exhibit at the Museum of Pop Culture, but the band's history might have been quite different had it not been Andrew Wood. The late singer helmed the pre-Pearl Jam band Mother Love Bone, and the group has included a new tribute statue in the Pearl Jam: Home and Away exhibit that opens this Saturday (Aug. 11) in Seattle.

“Kicking off this week with Andy standing watch over it all. As it should be," posted Pearl Jam employee Sarah Seiler on Instagram along with a photo of the statue. "❤️ I cannot wait for everyone to see the #PearlJamHomeXAway exhibit at @mopopseattle. Far beyond my wildest dreams. Truly incredible work, @kshuss11 and MoPOP! #thehomeshows #andywood.”

Between 1987 and 1990. Wood was the flamboyant frontman of Mother Love Bone, an influential Seattle hard rock band that featured guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament. Tragically, Wood died of a heroin overdose on March 19, 1990, before the July 19 release of Mother Love Bone's only album Apple.

After Wood died, Gossard and Ament formed the band Mookie Blaylock, which soon solidified its lineup and changed its name to Pearl Jam.

“I ran into Jeff Ament during the media preview of Pearl Jam Home and Away," tweeted journalist Travis Hay. "He was there b/c he and his wife commissioned a bronze statue of Andy Wood and the statue was being unveiled for the first time today.”

Speaking with Rolling Stone about the Wood statue, Ament revealed that the idea came after visiting Wood's gravesite five years ago and feeling that something more should be done. “I was just like, ‘God, this should be so much more rad,’” Ament says, revealing his disappointment after seeing a gravestone that was missing a decorative star. “So the whole way home we were riffing, ‘If anybody I know deserves a statue, it’s him.’ He would be the one that would love it.” The bassist commissioned the statue for his late bandmate, with Mark Walker creating the piece.

“There’s a lot of things that would be different not just for me, but for the entire Seattle musical community, had it not been for him,” said Ament of Wood. After the "Home Shows," the bassist is contemplating where the statue will permanently be housed, discussing Seattle Center and Bainbridge Island as possibilities.

A statue of Soundgarden and Audioslave's vocalist and solo artist Chris Cornell will be erected in Seattle later this month. Cornell was Wood's roommate and close friend when he died.

In 1990, Cornell formed the side project Temple of the Dog with Gossard, Ament and Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready and drummer Matt Cameron. The group released its self-titled album in 1991 but didn't tour until 2016 when they celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the record.